Stepping In
by EffulgentEllie
Summary: The dark slayer steps in for a town who lost its protecting light. This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 01

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 01

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

Blonde flashed in my vision.

"Buffy?" My voice called out but it cracked, slipping through my chapped lips like a whisper. I struggled to pull the mirage into focus but it was of no use. Before I could make out any details darkness engulfed everything around me, taking the glimpse of gold with it. Wind whipped up around me, pulling my hair around my face in vicious tendrils. I drew my arms up to cover my cheeks from the sting of my hair, doing my best to peer through the never-ending blackness that surrounded me, but even with my heightened vision I saw nothingness.

"Death was my gift." A familiar voice carried across the violent winds, tickling my ear with its eerie message. "Death was my gift." It echoed, bouncing off of unseen walls and surrounding me.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Games were not my thing. "Damn-it, B. If that's you, cut the shit. You know I don't like puzzles so just spit it out already!"

Suddenly everything stopped. The wind died down and the silence that surrounded me was deafening. A feeling deep within my chest drew me forward; at first it was just a few timid steps, but I suddenly found myself at a full sprint, running into the darkness that still kept me from being able to see my hand in front of my face.

My feet pounded against the hard floor, echoing into the nothingness until I came to a gradual stop. Unsure of why I felt the need to stop at that particular spot or why I had run in the first place, I felt uneasiness creep into my chest.

While my eyes continued trying to adjust to the darkness, a lone figure walked languidly towards me. Somewhere deep inside I recognized that I shouldn't have been able to bring the person in front of me into focus, but it didn't matter as my sister Slayer's features appeared.

Her heart-shaped face seemed serene, peaceful in the silence that once more surrounded us. She walked towards me, in no rush to be reunited yet comfortable in her stride. Once she reached me, her slender arm stretched across the small amount of remaining distance between us, placing her hand against my cheek. A chill ran up my spine from the coolness of her touch yet I felt no physical pressure. Odd.

"Faith." I couldn't tell if she was trying to get my attention or just trying out the feeling of my name in her mouth. "Death was my gift." Her face never slipped, never fell into sadness that such a statement would bring from most people.

"Buffy? I don't understand." I reached up with the intent to remove her hand from my cheek, but she pulled away. Her form retreated slowly, backing away while still facing me, that peacefully smile still in place. A sense of dread washed over me as I watched her slow down, her back against the darkness. "Buffy?"

She shook her head, putting a stop to my questioning and causing her hair to fall loose over her shoulders. "Death was my gift. I had to do it. Take care of them for me. All of them. Please." Sadness flashed in her eyes, but it didn't linger long. My sister, bound to me like no other could be, took a deep breath, spread your arms out and fell backgrounds.

"Buffy!" I leapt forward, reaching out my hand in a desperate attempt to grab her and pull her back from an impossible drop, a plummeting abyss I didn't even know existed beyond, but it didn't matter. She had tumbled down into the nothingness, accepting it as if she had prepared for such a fate from the beginning. Then, suddenly, I was falling, too.

"Shit!" I sat up quickly. My heart pounded in my ears, hammering away in my chest as my eyes bolted across my surroundings. I was in my bunk, my uncomfortable cot offering very little cushion between my back and the hard springs underneath, and my cell mate was still snoring away below me. At least I didn't wake her. Thank god. The poor girl was skittish enough as it was.

Despite my assessment of my surroundings, a second nature for a Slayer, my beating heart failed to cease its painful rhythm in my chest. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

The overhead lights snapped on, humming against the silence of Cell Block B; the place I had called home for this last year. The guard came down the walk, banging her baton against each cell's bars in an attempt to stir the inhabitants, while shouting about breakfast and rise and shine and a whole bunch of other mundane shit I didn't have time for at the moment.

As Christine, my cell mate, began to stir, I pulled myself out of bed and got ready quickly. I had a sickening feeling that I would be having company soon and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it or not.


	2. Chapter 02

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 02

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

I was pushing around the slop on my tray that was deemed edible by the state, watching the other inmates avoid me like the plague, when one of the guards on duty by the door came up to me. It was interesting to watch as she stood in front of me for a moment, debating on her words and trying to hide her fear from me and the other inmates.

I'll never understand why anyone in this place feared me. I never showed my true potential. I never started any fights. Hell, I never even _finished_ any fights. I kept to myself with my head down but chin up and served my time, repenting for the sins I committed when I was naive to the consequences of my actions.

"Faith." I peeked at her tag, which labeled her as Sarah. Since I didn't recognize her, I figured she was new. "You have visitors."

With a quick nod, I stood from the table and dumped my lunch. Another guard, this one I recognized as Rhonda, an older woman who had been here since the day I turned myself in, met me at the visitors station then escorted me to my booth.

On the other side of the glass sat two women I had never seen before. Both young, my age, but they couldn't be more different from the other. One was blonde with a boxy yet petite face and eyes that had seen more than her age would suggest. The other was a light brunette with a heart-shaped face and body language that immediately showed her tepidness.

This is definitely not who I was expecting to show up here.

I sat down in the uncomfortable chair with stuffing coming out of one side and picked up the phone on my side of the thick, bullet-proof glass. After a few moments where neither one of them moved I cleared my throat, raised an eyebrow, and pointed to the phone that sat closest to the blonde.

She picked up the phone and brought it to her ear. "Are you Faith?"

Well, that was straight and to the point. I gave a quick nod. "Yeah, and who are you?"

"I'm Anya, Xander's girlfriend, and this is Tara, Willow's girlfriend."

"Awesome. The Slayer's little pals got their own cheer-leading squad. I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm no longer part of the gang, so what do you want with me?" I'm pretty sure I heard Anya sigh through the phone as if I had inconvenienced her, but Tara, the witch's girl was staring at me, studying me, and it was making me really uncomfortable.

"We know all about you. The dark slayer. The one who let power get to her head. Blah, blah, blah. Listen, we're kind of slim on options." This had to have something to do with my dream. Damn slayer dreams. "Buffy is dead." Her statement pulled the breath from my lungs. I had known it before they even showed up, but it still hurt to hear the words spoken aloud, especially from someone who was in Slayer's own group of close friends.

Not wanting them to know how much my sister slayer's death affected me, I nodded. "I already figured that. But, once again, what do you want with me?"

Another sigh came through the line and if this girl wasn't careful I was going to reach through this glass and punch her straight in the jaw. "Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, is overrun with demons. Gangs are destroying the town and torturing the humans that live there. Being human myself now, I feel obligated to help in the limited capacity that I have."

It looked like her little speech was over, but then Tara, the quiet one, spoke. I couldn't hear what she said through the glass or the phone, but Anya nodded quickly.

"That's right. We are also trying to stop Willow and Xander. They're trying to resurrect Buffy from the dead. Foolish children playing with forces they don't understand." She shook her head in disgust. "Faith, we are here to ask you to come back with us. The Hellmouth needs a Slayer and you're the only one left."

That was an odd statement to hear. The Slayer, by right, is a single entity. She had been for ages with all that 'she, alone, stands against the forces of evil' bullshit. But I had never been the only Slayer. Where Buffy had started off on her own, fighting foes she had only had nightmares about by herself, I had always known there was another like me out there in the world. The original Slayer, my sister, bound to me as no one else in the world was bound to anyone. My heart ached once more and I took in a deep breath. When my vision focused once again I realized Anya had given the phone for Tara.

"F-Faith?" I stayed quiet, listening to the slight stutter and timidness of her voice. "I see the struggle within you, but you should c-come with us. Your aura is bright and pure. You're a good person and Buffy would want you t-to fulfill your destiny."

I took a deep breath and, after a moment, made my decision. "Meet me in The Sunny Motel back in Sunnydale. Now, stand back." I put the phone back on the receiver, as did Tara, before they both stood against the far wall, watching with slight fear in their eyes.

With my arms in front of my face, my body easily pushed through the thick glass, causing no damage to my stronger than human skin. Shards rained around me, but I didn't bother wasting time. I was on my feet and through the door in a matter of seconds. Guards tried to stop me, but none succeeded and I managed to make it out of the prison with no more death on my hands or my conscious than I already had.


	3. Chapter 03

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 03

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

The motel was seedier than I remembered and put my prison cell to shame. We had met in the lobby and Tara had paid for the room. An older woman with a raspy voice from too many years of smoking handed me a key attached to a gaudy plastic sign that read The Sunny Motel with tape holding two separate pieces together. Real classy.

I let myself into the room given to me with the two newest members of the Scoobies trailing behind. I had snagged some civilian clothes on my trek back to this wretched town and that would be the last unlawful thing I did. Hopefully. I was still trying to repent for my sins, after all.

My ass hit the dusty bed spread making me feel like I needed a shower right at that very moment, but I pushed it aside. The two women who followed me seemed to be unsure of themselves now. Maybe asking the help of the dark slayer was something they didn't put a lot of thought into.

I sighed and gestured to them. "Okay. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear the whole story."

Anya, the blonde one, nodded. "It all started with some creepy monks who planted Dawn into all of our memories because Dawn was really the key." From there she told an insane tale of monks and gods and hell dimensions. I listened intently at the struggle Buffy had to fight the god named Glory, was stunned when she mentioned Spike, William the Bloody, had become the Slayer's new little helper, and pissed that many of them were for killing Dawn to stop the ritual. Her story was coming to an end and I could see the sadness flash through her eyes. "By the time Buffy got to the top, it was too late. The ritual had been started and the only way to end it was with blood. Since the monks had used Buffy's blood to create Dawn, she decided to sacrifice herself to close it instead of her sister."

In my mind I saw Buffy jump, not fall like she did in my dream, but take a running start and leap from a height even we would struggle to survive from. My heart ached, a feeling I was becoming familiar with from these last ten or so hours.

The entire time that Anya had filled in the gaps, Tara had been staring out the window, watching as the sun began to move across the sky. She turned once her friend had finished and faced us. "I-It will be getting d-dark out soon."

As if Anya knew what caused the fear in her voice she nodded. "Yes, but I think they plan on performing the ritual tonight and they will start wondering where we are."

"I-I don't think it's a g-good idea." Tara's voice may stutter slightly, but I think it was more of her lack of confidence than any actual speech issues. The girl had fire in her eyes, but she was too worried to let it show. "Willow won't listen t-to me and Spike deserves t-to know."

I stood from the bed, unhappy about the dust that I was sure was covering my ass. What a nasty place. "Okay, okay. Tell me exactly what they're doing and maybe we can stop it."

Anya was patting Tara in what I could only assume was meant to be a reassuring manner, but it looked awkward and stilted, like she had never comforted someone before. "Willow and Xander want us there to help bring Buffy back from the dead. She plans on evoking Osiris, bidding him to allow Buffy to cross over, back to our dimension."

"I'm not gonna lie, Anya. Letting the witch bring Buffy back doesn't sound like a bad idea. If she can do it, why not?"

Tara stepped forward quickly. "Because! I-it's forces that should never be t-toyed with. She'll be c-calling on magiks that she doesn't possess and messing with the natural b-balance of the world! We don't know if Buffy will c-come back the same way she left us."

Was that a chance I was willing to take? Would Buffy want us to bring her back, regardless of the consequences? The answer snapped into my mind quickly. No. I didn't even have to think hard about it. She would want us to leave well enough alone, allow her to rest. She had fulfilled her duty and now she could be at peace. What a glorious thought that was.

"Fine. We'll see Spike and stop the ritual."


	4. Chapter 04

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 04

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

Spike, apparently, spent most of his time at the Summers' house. Apparently he and Dawn were close and he made a promise to the former Slayer that she would always be protected. Props to him. I know a vampire _with_ a soul who has problems keeping promises so it was nice to know that he was holding up his end of the bargain. It was also nice because I wasn't too keen on becoming a fill-in big sister for the littlest Summers.

It was dark by the time we made it to Revello Drive and I gave a quick rap on the front door. I'm assuming he smelled me before he answered because when he pulled the door back he didn't seem too surprised to see me on the other side.

"Hey. Spike, right?" I gave him my best grin, trying not to be sarcastic, which is tough. Believe me.

"Faith. Good to see you in your own body this time." His words were true, but they tore healing wounds back open. The last time I had met him I was in Buffy's body, using her as a tool in what I hoped would be a way to start over. Those plans failed and I realized why. I was also surprised because he was the only one who could tell the difference, that it was me occupying Buffy's body and not her. Interesting.

"Yeah, well, those weren't my finest moments, but I'm sure we all have skeletons in the closet."

He huffed out a light laugh through his nose. "Guess so."

We stood there, slightly awkward, for a few minutes before I sighed; might as well just rip the band aid off. "Listen. Sidekick One and Sidekick Two came and got me from LA, prison no less. I've been filled in on everything and have been asked to help, which I fully intend to do. I'm only here as a courtesy… for Buffy."

The mention of her name brought his mood down to a whole new level of low. If you were just looking him, his face and his body language, nothing would have changed, but his eyes were nothing _but_ pain. Love lost and duty failed.

"I'm going to clean this place up. Not sure if I'll stay after that, but I have to stop the Slayer's meddling little friends before they do something stupid." His attention peaked at that, so I continued. "It seems they want to try and resurrect Buffy. Something Anya and Tara don't agree with, but are being roped into regardless."

"What?!" His voice echoed up the steps behind him and his grip on the door frame tightened, snapping off splinters of wood that fell to his boot clad feet. Realizing the level of his voice he lowered it instantly, but his shoulders were still stiff. "Those little shits!"

I nodded because that was a statement that I couldn't agree with more. "Yeah, well. I thought you should know. If Buffy trusted you, I'll try to do the same." That statement didn't come easy. Just standing there talking was causing my senses to be on high alert and the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

He gave a curt nod. "When are they planning the ritual?"

"I think Anya said it was tonight."

"Damn-it!" His curse was followed by more splinters from the door frame. "I can't leave Dawn here alone."

"Whoa, there. Calm down before there's no frame left." He instantly loosened his grip and dropped his arm to his side. "I was told the town is pretty bad, especially at night; some kind of gangs running the joint. You stay here with Dawn, I'll stop the little magik pow-wow and then we can work on the town tomorrow. Actually, we could probably make quick work of it if we work together. Sound good?"

He seemed to instantly relax, his shoulders drooping down as if a weight had been lifted from them. That was when I realized it. Spike was probably the only supernatural creature here that wasn't out to destroy the place. He had taken on Buffy's responsibilities as Dawn's protector and defender of the Hellmouth. But, just like Buffy, the job was slowly killing him. You could see the wear in his eyes, the bags from sleepless days under crystal blues. It was hideously beautiful and I honestly felt bad for the guy… vampire… whatever he was.

"Sounds good. I'll keep an eye out here, if you need anything ring the house and I'll be there. If not, I'll see you here tomorrow." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and you could tell he was used to taking charge these past few months.

"Sure." And with that, I was off to stop some seriously messed up business.


	5. Chapter 05

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 05

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

It was completely dark and I could hear the town falling into chaos even from out in the middle of the cemetery, far away from the main streets. All four of them were at Buffy's grave, right where Tara said they would be. It was nearly hidden in a stand of trees in the farthest reaches of the graveyard. Willow was situating herself at the front of the grave, holding a jug or an urn while the others stood around her, black candles in hand.

Yeah, they were definitively up to something.

I could hear Willow's voice from the distance I was at. She seemed nervous yet excited and I could imagine why.

"Does everybody have their candles?"

Anya was flicking a lighter, trying to get hers lit or trying to make it look like she was, I wasn't sure which. "Mine won't stay lit. It keeps going out." As if to prove a point, she ignited the lighter and lit her candle, but it quickly blew out with an unusual gust of wind that didn't seem to belong in the stale night.

"Well, make it stay. It has to stay!" The witch's voice was panicked.

I shook my head at the redhead. She was floundering, in deeper than she would admit and I felt bad for her. It was a horrible feeling, as if you were drowning with no way back to fresh air.

I must have missed some steps to their ritual as I was making my way over. The next thing I knew, Willow was calling for someone named Osiris, the urn high above her head. From the looks of things, it seemed they didn't have much more to go, so I broke out into a full run, my legs carrying me up the small hill with no effort. Before anyone realized I had approached I pulled the urn from Willow's hands and slammed it into the ground, a good distance away from the grave.

The witch's eyes, which were once fogged and hazy, snapped back to crystal clear and she looked around frantically. "What happened?" Her body turned and we locked gazes. "F-Faith?"

Xander, who was more in his right mind, or as right-minded as the boy could get, jumped to his feet. "Faith? What the hell are you doing here?" He was pissed or scared or both.

"Stopping something that you'll most likely regret. You guys are messing with magiks that you don't understand. Everything has a price." I was repeating what Tara had told me because I had no personal experience with such things.

Now Willow was outraged with me as well. She stood up quickly, caked on dirt and grass littered her knees as she pointed her finger in my face. "It was a price we were willing to pay! Buffy should be here, not in some dimension God knows where!"

"Do you really believe that?" I smacked her finger away from my face. If I didn't, the poor girl would end up with a broken wrist. "Do you really think Buffy would want you guys playing around with this? With her life? You and I both know the answer to that and you're either too stubborn or too stupid to realize it!" I was getting angry now, could feel the adrenaline spike and the need to hit something take over.

"But, but…" Xander was floundering for excuses, trying to come up with something to justify their actions. "But she could be in some untold hell dimension! We can't just leave her there." Willow began nodding along, accepting his possible scenario as fact.

"Yeah, she could be." I shrugged my shoulders, willing myself to calm down. "And if we can prove that's where she is, then we'll try to find a way to bring her back. But what if she is actually gone? You know, the final curtain call? Why take that chance? Especially if she could come back broken, something other than Buffy?"

They seemed at a loss, they're entire crusade cut short and their mission rerouted.

Tara stepped forward, having put her now flameless candle down on the ground. She placed a gentle hand on the witch's shoulder. "I think Faith is r-right." I thought the girl would be able to calm her down, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Willow rounded on her girlfriend and I watched, pissed, as Tara coward back slightly. She was already a timid person, barely able to speak above a whisper. "You! You did this! You got Faith!" Tara stepped back, putting distance between them and her hands up, urging Willow to calm down. "How could you?!"

"I-I was only doing what I thought was b-best. You g-guys weren't listening. W-we were w-worried!" She had stepped so far back that she was now standing beside her partner in crime.

Xander's ears picked out one specific word. "Wait a minute. We?" He turned towards his girlfriend, his hands raised in the air as if asking the sky what in the hell was happening here. "What the hell, Anya?! She's a murderer."

Ouch, that stung.

Now Anya was a different creature all together. I recognized from the beginning with her stilted speech and her blunt mannerisms that she hadn't always been human, but who was I to judge? The girl in question stepped forward instead of backing down and shoved her thin finger into her boyfriend's chest. "Don't 'what the hell Anya' me, Xander. You weren't listening. This was a bad idea from the beginning, the town has been taken over by demon gangs, you two and Giles don't want to accept Spike's help, he can't do it all by himself, and it's not right to mess with the balance of things." Her eyebrows were now pulled together as her chest huffed angrily.

Xander went to smack Anya's hand away and I had had enough. I grabbed each original gang member by the back of their shirt and gave them a quick tug back. They fell on their asses behind me, landing with loud huffs and shouts of anger but I honestly didn't care. I positioned myself between the two pairs and faced the ones on the ground.

"You guys need to chill. They did what they thought was right just like you were doing. And, like I said, if we can prove B is somewhere she doesn't belong, then I'll be the first one on the train to pull her back to this shit hole of a world. But, until then, we should focus on the town. Get this place cleaned up and safe, or as safe as a Hellmouth can get. After that, we'll talk everything over."

I huffed, my rant over with, and turned to face the two girls who had fetched me from my own personal prison. "Now, I didn't realize the G-man was here and I'm not too keen on meeting him again. Spike and I are going to patrol tomorrow night and work on pushing the gangs out of the town. It would put his mind at ease if you guys could come by Buffy's house and keep an eye on Dawn."

They were nodding their heads before I had even completed my question.


	6. Chapter 06

**STEPPING IN |** Chapter 06

 **ABOUT:** This story was written for franceshodgsonburnett, also known as Rachelle. It is a one shot, broken into multiple small chapters, for the Whedon Secret Santa on Tumblr.

 **DISCLAIMER:** Sadly, I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any characters from the show. It, along with some quotes that may be used from future episodes, belongs to Joss Whedon and company. Grrr! Argh!

* * *

 **FAITH POV**

I spent the night, well day technically, sleeping in the shitty motel with the even shittier cleaning service, but it was a place to put my head and I wasn't picky at this point. Now, though, it was dark once more and I was walking up the steps to my late sister's house. Before I could even raise my hand and knock, Spike had flung the door open. His face was a mask of annoyance and I could understand why. Behind him I heard the bickering voices of Anya and Xander. The poor guy looked like he was about ready to stake himself, but at least they showed to keep an eye on Dawn.

"Ready?" I gave him my best smile, but it didn't seem to help his sour mood.

A thunderous noise came barreling down the steps before a thin form slammed into the vampire's back and small arms wrapped around his torso. His body didn't even budge from the impact. "Why can't I go, Spike?" Her muffled voice sounded more mature than the last time I had seen her, which apparently wasn't real because those memories were planted by meddling monks.

That was another thought for another day.

His larger hands easily pried the girl's arms from around him, being as gentle as he could. It was kind of humorous to watch a killer of the night be soft towards a human. "It's dangerous and if Buffy were here she would stake me on the spot for even considering it."

She huffed and crossed her arms as only a preteen could. "But Buffy's not here and we've been training."

Maybe it was because I hadn't had a few months to process the information like the others, but her words stung, making the situation more real and me sick to my stomach.

"Yeah, we've been training, but the town is a mad house. Let me and Faith here deal with 'em, clean up the place, and we'll start going on patrol."

She seemed to mull that over in her head before she gave a curt nod. "Fine." Her eyes snapped to mine and a tight-lipped smile formed on her face. She was obviously remembering how many times I had wronged her sister. "Faith." And with that she turned on her heal and left us to it. Couldn't blame her for being pissed.

"Well, it seems my reputation precedes me." I awkwardly forced a chuckle before stepping down off the porch, hoping the vampire would follow me. I wasn't disappointed.

We made our way around town with no conversation shared between us. If we found a group harassing someone or any demon in general, it was a done deal. Anything that crossed our paths that wasn't human or family pet was dispatched easily between the two of us. Personally, I loved the burn of my muscles as I slammed my weapon against other weapons, flesh, or bone. It was an exhilarating feeling that I missed all too much. And, from the look on Spike's face, you could tell he felt the same. We were two creatures on opposite sides of the spectrum, sharing a like-minded goal and it felt amazing.

The town was cleaned up before morning. The news of our murderous demon rampage and the return of a Slayer to the Hellmouth had spread fast across the underworld community. We hadn't even made it to the other side of the town before we heard the roar of motorcycles taking off in the other direction.

I was equal parts pleased and disappointed. It was nice to know that the name of the Slayer could still strike fear into the hearts of demons and vampires alike, but I was also looking forward to a good brawl that lasted all night long. Spike seemed to feel the same.

We lugged our way back home, smeared in dirt and covered in various bodily fluids that I preferred not to think about. I glanced over at my partner tonight. He was handsome, for a vampire, but not my type. However, I could see the change in him from the stories I was told about his first appearance here in Sunnydale. Buffy spoke of him like he had been the ultimate fighter, the one who made her work the hardest. He was an excellent warrior, strong and quick, built for the fight, but now he seemed softened.

"How long has she been gone?" My question was sudden and the first thing I'd said to him all night.

His stride didn't falter, but the pain returned to his eyes and I almost regretted my question, but I needed to know. He sighed, brought a cigarette to his lips and lit it quickly with a silver lighter. "Hundred forty-seven days yesterday. Um, one-forty-eight today."

I nodded, slightly surprised by his accuracy. At first I was unsure if this vampire, the one without a soul, could love anyone, let alone a Slayer, but it seemed that's exactly what had happened. The guy had fallen for the one creature made solely for destroying him and his kind. It was a sick and twisted fate, one I was sure he was aware of.

Before an awkward silence could fall between us, I offered a little bit of myself to him. "She came to me, you know."

His gaze, once distant, snapped to mine.

"In my dream. It was a Slayer dream, I think, but I'm not quite sure. It's hard to tell with those kinds of things. But she was there." I huffed and rubbed my palms against the dirty jean fabric on my thighs. "She told me death was her gift, that she had to do it, and she asked me to take care of them. All of them." I shrugged.

From the look of hurt that now covered his face I felt even worse than before.

"She didn't look scared or in pain. She seemed at peace with everything. Hell, she even smiled."

A disgruntled breath followed by an strangled chuckle left him. "Sounds like the Slayer; selfless till the end, even in death."

I nodded my head in silence, agreeing with his statement. "Yeah, it sure does."


End file.
